Within the Heart of the Media

The definition of an advertisement is; a notice, such as a poster or a paid advertisement in the print, broadcast, or electronic media designed to attract public attention or patronage. In today’s society advertisements are everywhere, they are used to promote almost every product that there is. An example of a large scale of advertisements are ones for clothing companies, which is the form of advertisement I chose to analyze.

The advertisement I chose to deconstruct is one done by Sisley Clothing Company called Fashion Junkies. The advertisement consists of two young looking models, bending over a table with rolled paper to their noses snorting drugs, although they are not snorting drugs but fabric from a dress. One is looking up at the camera, noticeably under the influence with her eyes half rolled back and dark bags under her eyes while the other is bent over the table with a look on her face almost like satisfaction with a Chase credit card covered in white powder. Although the models are still very beautiful looking and give meaning to the phrase “a beautiful disaster” it is a very damaging ad. When I had first saw the ad I was in shock and could not believe what I was looking at, here is a high fashion clothing company using drugs, alcohol and sexual scenes such as a picture just of a woman’s chest with a man’s hand grabbing one of her breasts to sell their clothes. This I can say truly angers me, are they really running out of advertising ideas that they have to resort to the worst to sell their pieces of clothing?

Yes, these advertisements can sure grab someone’s attention enough for them to want more and wonder about the clothes that are actually being sold by Sisley but it totally delivers the wrong message. The ad is called “Fashion Junkie” and gives a whole new light to the word, and advertising it in the literal sense. Unfortunately this is not the only ad they have that depicts addiction to drugs and alcohol. When looking at this my first thought was “Typical” because the ad portrays the stereotype that drugs are automatically related to models. When looking at the ad, at the viewer’s first glance, the models’ positions over the table, the rolled paper and the expressions on their faces are really the only thing that is noticed.

I think that the advertisements are actually very appealing and very different but they do portray the wrong message to viewers, and not just young viewers but those of all ages and because of this I think that clothing companies should think before they put out ads. They need to think about who is going to see them and how it is going to affect the viewers and also their clothes. Advertisements are supposed to influence and set an image for the clothing and the company and it is this image that helps sell the clothes.

Works Cited:
http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/SISLEY-FASHION-JUNKIE-1.jpg

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